The Buddha had reached a full eighty years. At that
time in Kusinara, a wandering ascetic named Subhadda heard that the Buddha was in the Sal
Grove and that He would be passing away into Final Enlightenment (parinibbana) that very
night. A certain doubt had occupied his mind and knowing that a fully-enlightened Buddha
would be able to dispel his uncertainty, he considered it profitable to speak to Him.
Having approached the Venerable Ananda, he made the request several times but, Ananda,
thinking to protect the physically weakened Buddha from disturbance in His last hours,
denied the requests. The Compassionate One, however, overheard the conversation and called
Ananda, saying "Let him come here. He is a true seeker and asks not out of idle
curiosity. It will be no annoyance to me. Let him come. He will understand." Naming a
number of sages who all claimed to have knowlege of the Truth, Subhadda asked if all had
this wisdom, or only some, and not others. The Buddha asked him to put aside that question
temporarily and not concern himself with whether or not others had realized the Truth. He
said that, irrespective of their doctrine or discipline, a liberated person of the highest
saintliness will be found where the Noble Eightfold Path is found in its entirety.
Conversely, saints of the highest attainment will not be found in other paths where the
Eightfold Path does not exist or only partially exists. He cautioned Subhadda to reject
creeds which lead to corruption, pain, birth, decay and death in time to come and to
accept wholesome teachings by which a person, by one's own power, could find perfect
wisdom. Subhadda requested the Master to speak about the Noble Eightfold Path and, having
understood, his doubts were resolved. Subhadda requested and received full ordination from
the Buddha Himself. He was the last of many thousands to be personally ordained by the
Buddha. Before long, Subhadda abandoned the defilements and became an arhat.